II.1.3)Information about a public contract, a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS)

The notice involves the establishment of a framework agreement

II.1.4)Information on framework agreement

Framework agreement with several operators
maximum number of participants to the framework agreement envisaged: 5

Duration of the framework agreement

Duration in months: 48

Estimated total value of purchases for the entire duration of the framework agreement

Estimated value excluding VAT:
Range: between 1 and 10 000 000 EUR

II.1.5)Short description of the contract or purchase(s)

It is the intention that the conclusion of this procurement process will result in a number of Framework Agreements for Video and Web Conferencing Solutions awarded to Providers that will result in simplified access to a portfolio of services for GEANT’s National Research and Education Network (NREN)) stakeholders to access, with commonality in respect of commercial and contractual terms for all, reducing the local overhead for technical, commercial or legal activities typically required when engaging new Providers. GEANT expects to award Framework Agreements to providers that own the IP of the solutions they are offering for up to 4 years from the signing of the contract.

II.1.6)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

72416000

II.1.7)Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

II.1.8)Lots

This contract is divided into lots: no

II.1.9)Information about variants

II.2)Quantity or scope of the contract

II.2.1)Total quantity or scope:

GEANT is seeking to establish Framework Agreements with organisations that can deliver Video and Web Conferencing services in the most efficient way. These may include Economic Operators that are directly offering Video and Web Conferencing services: referred to as Original Video and Web Conference Providers as well as Original Video and Web Conference Providers indirectly offering Video and Web Conferencing Services through nominated Authorised Resellers. The scope any Frameworks will also include complementary services such as professional client side support services in respect of video and web conferencing as well as multi user web-casts and webinar “massive open online course (mooc)” services.

II.2.2)Information about options

Options: no

II.2.3)Information about renewals

This contract is subject to renewal: no

II.3)Duration of the contract or time limit for completion

Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information

III.1)Conditions relating to the contract

III.1.1)Deposits and guarantees required:

Participants will be advised if this is necessary during the procurement. Parent company and/or other guarantees of performance and financial stability may be required by GEANT Ltd or proposed by participants if considered appropriate.

No specific legal form is required but if a contract is awarded to a consortium, GEANT Ltd may require the consortium to form a separate legal entity before entering into any Contract.

III.1.3)Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded:

No specific legal form is required but if a contract is awarded to a consortium, GEANT Ltd may require the consortium to form a separate legal entity before entering into any Contract.

III.1.4)Other particular conditions

III.2)Conditions for participation

III.2.1)Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Candidates’ personal situation will be assessed on the basis of information provided in response to the Invitation to Tender (ITT) or other tender documentation as referred to within this notice. This procurement will be managed electronically via GEANT’s eProcurement platform where all tender documents can be found. To participate in this procurement, participants must 1st be registered on: www.geant-procurement.net

Please note that, to register, you must have a valid DUNS numbers (as provided by Dun and Bradstreet) for the organisation which you are registering, who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so. Full instructions for registration and use of the system can be found at: www.geant-procurement.net

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Candidates’ economic and financial capacity will be assessed according to the criteria set out within the ITT or other tender documentation as referred to within this notice. The ITT can be accessed at www.geant-procurement.net using the instructions detailed in III.2.1)

III.2.3)Technical capacity

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met:

Candidates’ economic and financial capacity will be assessed according to the criteria set out within the ITT or other tender documentation as referred to within this notice. The ITT can be accessed at: www.geant-procurement.net using the instructions detailed in III.2.1)

III.2.4)Information about reserved contracts

III.3)Conditions specific to services contracts

III.3.1)Information about a particular profession

III.3.2)Staff responsible for the execution of the service

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)Type of procedure

IV.1.1)Type of procedure

competitive dialogue

IV.1.2)Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate

Envisaged number of operators: 5
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates: As stated within the tender documentation.

IV.1.3)Reduction of the number of operators during the negotiation or dialogue

Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiated yes

IV.2)Award criteria

IV.2.1)Award criteria

The most economically advantageous tender in terms of the criteria stated in the specifications, in the invitation to tender or to negotiate or in the descriptive document

IV.2.2)Information about electronic auction

An electronic auction will be used: no

IV.3)Administrative information

IV.3.1)File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:

GÉANT Video and web conference 2016

IV.3.2)Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract

no

IV.3.3)Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document

Payable documents: no

IV.3.4)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

21.10.2016 – 12:00

IV.3.5)Date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

IV.3.6)Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up

English.

IV.3.7)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

IV.3.8)Conditions for opening of tenders

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: no

VI.2)Information about European Union funds

The contract is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no

VI.3)Additional information

The Framework Agreement will be awarded for an initial term of 2 years with the option to extend for 2 further terms each of up to 12 months duration, to be exercised at the discretion of GEANT Ltd The terms of the proposed Framework Agreement will also permit GEANT Ltd’s shareholder NRENs, awarding a contract under this Framework Agreement, to publish the text of that contract, subject to possible redactions at the discretion of the contracting body. GEANT Ltd expressly reserves the right: (i) not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice; and (ii) to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering competition; and in no circumstances will GEANT Ltd be liable for any costs incurred by the participants.
If GEANT Ltd decides to enter into a Framework Agreement with the successful Supplier(s), this does not mean that there is any guarantee of subsequent contracts being awarded. Any expenditure, work or effort undertaken prior to contract award is accordingly a matter solely for the commercial judgement of participants. Any orders placed under this Framework Agreement will form a separate contract under the scope of this Framework Agreement between the Supplier and the specific requesting other contracting body. GEANT Ltd and its associated NRENs utilising the Framework Agreement reserve the right to use any electronic portal during the life of the agreement.
National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) are specialised internet service providers dedicated to supporting the needs of their national research and education communities. The primary focus is to provide high-quality network connectivity and related services to higher education and research institutions within their countries. NRENs offer national backbones and international connectivity of exceptional quality. In most GEANT partner countries, the typical core capacity is now 10Gbps, and reaches 100Gbps in some NRENs.

GEANT Ltd is putting in place a Framework Agreement which is accessible for use by the following NRENs and any future successors to following organisations, full details for which can be found at: http://www.geant.org/ About/Membership/Pages/MAandGAreps.aspx#NM

Precise information on deadline(s) for lodging appeals: GEANT Ltd will incorporate a standstill period at the point information on the award of the contract is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. The standstill period, which shall be for a minimum of 10 calendar days provides time for unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into. The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (SI 2015 No 102) provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by a breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland).

VI.4.3)Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained